BERTHA (SONG)

'"Bertha"' is a song by the Grateful Dead, written by Jerry Garcia with lyrics by Robert Hunter. It is one of the most popular of the band's songs, and has been covered by numerous other bands. The "Bertha" of the title refers to a floor fan which was unbalanced and would seemingly 'chase' the band members about the studio. (Hence, the lyric "Bertha, don't you come around here anymore"). The Grateful Dead first performed "Bertha" on February 18 1971, and it was released on ''Skull & Roses'' in October of that year.